Elections must be held by next Feb: Fakhrul at Nayapaltan rally
The party and its affiliate bodies slam propaganda against Tarique Rahman
BNP's current goal is to ensure the national election is held by next February, as discussed in a recent meeting in London between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and acting chairman Tarique Rahman, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (14 July).
"There must be no exception to this," Fakhrul said while addressing a protest rally at the BNP's central office in Nayapaltan.
The rally was organised by BNP's Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units, along with Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, to protest alleged propaganda against acting party chairman Tarique Rahman and to demand justice for a series of brutal murders, including the recent killing in front of Mitford Hospital.
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Fakhrul accused certain political circles of trying to divert national politics by exploiting the Mitford murder. "This is not a new conspiracy. Every time the people of Bangladesh rise to stand tall, these forces try to push the country into chaos," he said.
He alleged these conspiracies are part of a broader effort to block elections and suppress the public's right to vote. "They have used defamatory language against Tarique Rahman and raised shameful slogans, hoping to intimidate the BNP. But this party has always risen from the ashes like a phoenix," Fakhrul said.
Calling the alleged plot "horrific," he warned of renewed efforts to destabilise the nation and bury democracy. "The students have already ousted the fascists. We won't allow them to return," he added. "Just as we resisted in the past, we will again rise with the people to ensure democracy prevails."
Fakhrul urged party activists not to fall into provocations. "They want us to react emotionally and walk into their trap. But we must remain calm," he said, calling for patience and peaceful resistance.
BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas also spoke at the rally, claiming the Mitford murder victim was a BNP supporter. "This incident is unacceptable and should never happen again in Bangladesh. But we must question who is really benefiting from this," he said.
Abbas alleged the footage of the incident appeared staged, saying, "There was no movement or struggle in the video. It looked like it was pre-recorded to push a narrative—that BNP is to blame."
He dismissed allegations of BNP involvement, stating, "This has nothing to do with the reality or the BNP. I can show you photos of a boy named Mahim posing with NCP leaders. They are trying to pin this on us because they fear the BNP's return to power."
"The BNP is a popular party. It lives in the hearts of the people. No matter how much propaganda is spread, this party cannot be erased," Abbas added.
He claimed a specific group is targeting the BNP to eliminate the party and cling to power.
In response to slogans like "The BNP will go down the same way Awami League did," Abbas declared, "We have nowhere else to go. Bangladesh is our permanent address."
BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dhaka Metropolitan North Convener Aminul Haque, and South Convener Rafiqul Alam Majnu also attended the rally.
The rally ended with a procession from Nayapaltan to the National Press Club via Kakrail and Matsya Bhaban, with participants from various BNP and affiliated organisations.
Earlier in the day, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal also brought out a separate procession from Nayapaltan to Shahbagh, protesting alleged secret efforts to incite violence, disrupt education, and deteriorate law and order.
Participants in both events were seen chanting slogans and carrying banners and festoons. Due to the large gatherings, traffic in Nayapaltan and nearby areas was disrupted. Additional police forces were deployed to maintain order.
